Direction-indicator and signaling device for vehicles.



I II F. MEDICUS.

DIRECTION INDICATOR AND SIGNALING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0, 1916.

1,226,102. Patented May 15, 1917.

TSHEETS-SHEET I.

@ FJGUDE'Z (Jwwvntoz' Randal f. Tledicus.

Witnaoaw R. F. MEDICUS DIRECTION INDICATOR AND SIGNALING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, I9IEI Patented May 15, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

gluon Wot Randall I; Nedicus nmsm. s. amorous, on" xoimosrown. onto.

DmEGTION-INDICATOB ANDSIQNALING DEVIOEIOB VEHICLES.

sn wma swa Patented May 15, 1917.

Application fled m 10, me. semi in). same.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, RANDALL F. Mnorous, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youn town, in the county of Mahoning' and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-- alin 'Devices for Vefol owing 1s a speci- Indicators and Si hicles, of which t e fication. V

The resent invention relates to direction in icators and signaling devices for automobiles and other vehicles and has for an ob'ect'to provide a direction indicator and signaling apparatus-for use on auto-.

mobiles and the like for announcin to driv-- ers following the machine on w ich this apparatus is installed, proposed changes in dn'ection'at cross. streets and proposed stop-v pages .with view of reducing the liability side, of a central tail light of rear end collisions, and assisting drivers 'to maintain proper distance. between vehicles as now generally required by trafiicordinance.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- leaves which may be opervide signalin y the driver, whereby both ated at ease leaves may two-flickering lights situated, one on each an ordinary red lens, which a o illuminates the license number, also providing an electric bell which op rates upon' the same circuit as the flickering lights andthereby rovides a signal callingattention to the rivers intention of the changing of course or sto ping inthe daytime.

t isunderstood that the lights are to be .used only at' night, and suitable means haslbeen provided for switching off the lights from the battery in the daytime.

A further p use of the invention is toprovide exten ing leaves and flickering lights indicating stoplpage o'f'vehicle if both are extended and lig ts shown and a flickering light operati in conjunction with eithe'r'the right or le leaf which will indicate ,the intention of the driver to turn tothe right or left, as an extended leaf and a flickering light will be shown at night indicating the direction the driver intends totake.

With theseand other objects'in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully' hereinafter disclosed and par-' ticularly pointed out in the claims.-

be extended and also showing rovided with In the accompanyin drawings Figure 1 is a front e evation vlew of the signaling apparatus.

Fig. 2 is avertical view of the samewith the cover removed.

Fig.- 3 is a diagram of the. system of cir cults employed to actuate'the various devices of the apparatus. a

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional, view throu h the case as shown in Fig. .2, on line A- vice.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the controlling switches mounted on the steering wheel.

- Fig. 7. is a detail sectional view of a controlling switch.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein one embodiment ofmy invention is illustrated, l designates a casing cover, housing the mechanism of the si nahng ap- Fig. .5 is a detail view of flickering deparatus, said cover provided wit a central round opening 2,

ing 1, directly over the. flickerin 31, are vertical 'slots 3, formed wit pomts 2;) extending outwardly in the direction 0 mal y concealed within the casing 17', but are arranged in registration with slots at each end of the. casing 17, so that when either leaf is desired to be extended bfi opcrating the switch 5 or 6 as'shown in igs.

- 6 and 7 thereby connecting an electric 011- be controlled.

cuit, the leaves ma device, the

In operating th s, rignalin o erator may exten! rovided with a red lens. At the right and eft of said casing coverlights osition of leaves 4. Leaves} are norae-rig t leaf 4 by cosing the switch 5, or-he may extend the left leaf 4 by closing the switch 6. By-

closingeither switch a circuit isconnected which operates the solenoids 7 ,tgulling the iron rod 8 downwardly into e core of the solenoid. At the upper end of rod 8, a pin 9 hinges the same to an extended arm 10 of a cog-wheel llwhich -18. keyedv to a shaft 12 journaled-in the bottom of the casing 17. The cog wheel 11- engages with cog wheel 13 positioned upon shaft 14 fastened. to the bottom .of casing 17. By referri'ng to Fi 3 it will be seen thatthe leaves. 4. are ormedwith arms 15'. .'leaves 4 are firmly fastened tothe shaft said shaft passing through the ends ofthe arms 15.

n will readily be seen that the leaves 4 will fold back within thecajse 17 when the circuit is broken eg thecenter of gravity of leaves 4 is positioned within the case 17.

The coil spring 18, attached'to cog wheel 11 and to the bottom of the casing 17,;holds the leaves securely in folded position when not in use and whenthe electric circuit is not on. A lug 16 is at the extreme outward point of the leaf when extended. This lug 16 rests against a shoulder at the bottom of the slots at the ends of the casing 17. The electric bell 19 is also joined in the electric circuit and rings when the circuit is closed. The flickering device 21 is also put in operation by closing the-switch 5 or 6. This flickering device 21 consists of an electric magnet, 22, see Fig. 5, and an arm 23 pivoted upon a 'gurnal 24. There is a lower extension 0 this arm shown as 25 in Fig. 5. Near the outer end of this arm 25 there is pivotally attached a piston rod 26 by means of pin 39, this piston rod is attached to a piston 27, this iston 27 fitting loosely in a cylinder 28, this cylinder 28 is filled with oil. When the magnet 22 is charged it attracts and pulls down the arm 25, thereby breaking the circuit at contact point 29 and closing the circuit at point 30. The oil in the cylinder 28 causing the breaking of circuits at point 29 and 30 to be regular and slower in action than if not thus retarded. The flickering device 21 is attached to an electric circuit and causes the lights 31 to flicker, thereby attracting more attention to the lights 31 than if on constantly. e A

It will readily be seen that by operating they were the buttons 5 or 6 the respective switch 32 is closed, see Fig. 7, causin the light 31 at the right or the light 31 at t e left to flicker as desired by the operator, thereby indicating the direction the. driver is about to turn. It will also be seen that by this device the driver at night willcause 'a bell 19 to .be' rung, and will cause a flickerin of a light 31 to theright or to theleft o a common tail light 33 centrally located at the under side of casing 17. A leaf will also be extended-to the right or left there.

by further indicating the direction ,the driver is about to turn. The taillight 33 is turned off or on by means of switch 41. See Fig. 3. It will be seen that the operating buttons 5 and 6 are conveniently located upon the steering wheel'34.

The tail light 33 is installed upon a separate electric circuit and gives a constant light when turned on. In Fig. 2 the position of the tail light 33 is clearly shown under the arc 35 of the casing 17. This tail light 33 also illuminates the license number sign 36 by shining through slot 40 directly underneath the tail light 33. See Figs. 2 and 4.

, Thelicense number .sign'36 is firmly attached by means of bolts 38' to the bracket 37 which is in turn attached to the vehicle.

the openings 0 58 from junction 53 and wire 59 to jun'c tion 56. From junction. 53 the circuit to bell 19 is traced via 60 to the common junction 61. When magnet 22 attracts its armature the circuit at 29 is broken, but the circuit for the lamp 31 closed at 30 via and 71. v

By closing switch 6, the left portion of the device is caused to 'act the same as described above when closing switch 5.

It will readily be seen 'that'by closing both switches 5 and 6, both sides of the combined device are put' in operation and indicate the intention of stopping. by the driver.

What I claim is:

'1. In a direction indicator and signaling device for vehicles the combination of a.

tral opening, said 5 ots formed with -a point "extending outwardly at its upper end ,direction indicating leaves mounted within said casing, lights immediately underneath said casing, solenoids in conjunction with said leaves, flickering devices causing slots -0 said casing cover to flicker, controlling switches mounted upon the steering wheel energizingby means of an electric neo'usly.

'2. In a directionindicator and signaling device for vehicles the combination of a casing adapted for attachment to the vehifoo I the lights underneath the vertical .circuit said parts elther singly or simultaole and constructed with a casing cover, having a central round opening, vertical slots positionedto the ri ht and left ofsaid cen- 1 tral o ening, said ots formed with a oint exten ing outwardlyv at its upper en direction signaling leaves mounted within said casing and controlled by solenoids within the casing, electric lights immediatelyun- 'derneath saidvertical ,slots and central openin' ,flickering devices for the'lights an erglz by common circuits, solenoids in conjunction with the signaling leaves and an electric bell, circuits to energize the above parts either singly or simultaneously, and a centraltail .light operating upon an independent circuit arranged to shed light upon 4 a license number si positioned directly underneath said tail ight 3. A direction indicator and signaling device for vehicles comprising a casing, a signaling leaf mounted within the casing at each end, a cover provided with a central round opening and two vertical slots located at the right and at the left of said central opening, these slots formed with a point ex tending outwardly in the direction of the position of the signaling leaves, electric lights immediately underneath these vertical slots, a central tail light located directly underneath the central round opening and directly under an arched portion of the easing side, the signaling leaves connected to solenoids, a solenoid in conjunction with each leaf, said solenoid attached to a cog wheel with an extended arm mounted within the casing, engaging another cog wheel journaled within the casing and upon which is attached a signaling leaf, a coil spring attached to the cog wheel with the extended arm and to the bottom of the casing, an electric bell secured within the casing, flickering devices located to the right and to the left of the central opening and securely fastened within the casing, said flickering device consisting of a magnet, a vibrating arm mounted between two contact points, a piston rod pivotally connected to said arm and operating a piston within a cylinder filled with oil, two electric circuits to energize the solenoids, either singly or simultaneously,

also the lights located immediately underne'ath the vertical slots of the casing cover, the electric bell operating on either circuit or both, a license number sign attached immediately below a slot in the casing, the tail light operating upon an independent circuit and lighting said license number sign, and a 

